1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a barrier mountable between the passenger area and load carrying area of a vehicle for safely containing an animal in said load carrying area during transit, and, in particular to such a barrier with means to allow access to the animal from the passenger area.
2. The Prior Art
Safety barriers designed to prevent an animal in the boot of a vehicle gaining access to the passenger seating area exist in many forms, the desirable characteristics of which include ease of assembly, robustness, reliability and aesthetic appearance.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,520 is one such example of prior art in this field and describes a pet separation device comprising two parallel vertical posts mounted to a netted frame. Suction members on each end of both vertical posts enable said posts to be removably fastened to the floor and the ceiling of the vehicle respectively such that the netted frame can be positioned to form a barrier between the vehicle boot and rear passenger area.
Conventional barriers prevent an animal, such as a pet dog, gaining access to the rest of the vehicle from the boot, which is of particular importance when the vehicle is in transit. However, use of these barriers carries the inherent risk of trapping the animal in the boot in the event that a rear collision should mean it is not possible to open the boot door. In addition to this, a passenger may wish to feed or comfort the animal during transit but would be prevented from doing so by the presence of a barrier such as that shown in U.S. Pat. No. 7,017,520.